Casket



Dec. 27, 1938.

J. o. BESCH GASKET 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec.

. Y TE m mB T V T mm A S U N m J m Dec. 27, 1938. J. o. BESCH I 2,141,734

' CASKET Filed Dec. 25, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 lo) m ELiitlTIlTlj INVENTEIR Jul-IN DSCAR BESEIH BYW TTEIRNEY.

J. O. BESCH Dec. 27, 1938.

GASKET Filed Dec. 23, 1957 s Sheets-Sheet s wuuuuuuunfi H E R E N M D s J R L ma 5 w w R .m A E rr 3 U N H m Y 4 B Patented Dec. 27, 1938 NETED GASKET Application December23,-1937,iSerialNo. 181,266

6 Claims.

This invention relates to containers or caskets of the knock-down type and is particularly applicable to burial caskets.

An object of the invention is to provide a casket or container which may be shipped and stored knocked-down and then readily and easily assembled when desired for use or display.

Another object is to provide a-casket or container of the knock-down type which when assembled will be sturdy but light in weight.

Another object is to provide a casket or container of the knock-down type which may readily be made water-proof.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the description hereinafter given of a burial casket in which the invention is embodied.

According to the-invention in its principalaspect, the side and end members of the casket or container are provided with flanges to engage flanges which depend from the edges of the bottom member, a corner post is arranged in each corner, and a corner member is arranged at each corner and cooperates with the other members to lock the same in assembled position.

For the purpose of illustration, the invention will be explained as applied to a burial casket but it is to be understood that the invention is equally applicable to caskets or containers for other purposes.

The invention is exemplified by the casket illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which the views are as follows:

Fig. 1 is a central vertical section through the casket as indicated by line II of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the casketwith the covers removed.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through one corner of the casket as indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4. is a sectional plan view of one corner of the casket as indicated by the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a plan view showing a portion of the bottom member near one corner thereof.

Fig. '7 is an edge view of that part of the bottom member shown in Fig. 6, one part thereof being broken away to show another part thereof in sec- 50 tion.

Fig. 8 is an elevation of a portion of a side member of the casket and Fig. 9 is an end view thereof. Fig. 10 is a sectional plan view taken on the line Iii-4!! of Fig. 8.

Fig. 11 is a view showing a fragment of a side member, such as that shown in Fig. 8, and a fragment of an end member, similar to that shown in Fig. 8, applied to a corner fragment of the bottom member, such as that shown in Fig, 6.

Bottom member 3 is of greater length than the side members, of greater width than the end' members and has each of its corners beveled from the adjacent end of a side member to the adjacent endof an end member.

Since the casket is made of sheet metal, each side member has two ribs 4 and 5 pressed therein, each end member has two ribs 6 and I pressed therein, the bottom member has intersecting ribs 8 and 9 pressed therein, and the upper edges of the side and end members are turned inward and form horizontal flanges in order to increase the rigidity of the casket.

As best shown in Figs. 8 to 10, the upper portion of each side member is turned inward and toward the center of the side member to form an open flange or socket NJ, the lower portion of each side member is cut away at each end thereof upon a line which substantially coincides with the inner end surface of flange H3, and the lower edge portion of each side member is turned inward and upward to form an open flange or socket l l the upper edge of which is spaced is below the lower ends of flanges Ill.

The end members are substantially the same as the side members except that they are shorter. That is, each end member is cut and bent in the above described manner to form open flanges or sockets l2 and I3 (Fig. 11) which correspond, respectively, to flanges I 6 and H.

Each edge of bottom member 3 is turned downward to form a depending flange and each of these flanges is preferably joined to each of the adjacent flanges as by welding or by being formed integral therewith to form a continuous flange [4 which extends around the periphery of'bottom member 3. In assembling the casket, bottom member 3 is arranged between the two side members and between the two end members with flange l4 arranged in flanges H and I3 as best shown in Fig. 11.

The casket is provided with four corner posts I! each of which extends across a corner of the casket and has its ends bent to form flanges l8 and i9 which, as shown in Fig. 4, extend into the open flanges l0 and I2 formed, respectively, upon the adjacent ends of the adjacent side and end members.

Each corner post is provided at its top with a horizontal flange 20 which extends outward and at its bottom with a horizontal flange '21 which extends inward and is supported by bottom mem ber 3 as shown in Fig. 3.

The casket members thus far described are locked in position by four corner members 24. one of which closes each corner of the casket and is so shaped that its end portions overlap and engage the end portions of the adjacent side and end members as shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 12.

Each corner member has its lower edge portion bent inward and upward to form an open flange or socket 25 and its upper edge portion bent inward substantially at right angles thereto to form a flange 2%. When the casket is assembled, socket 25 overlaps and engages the flanges H and it on the adjacent side and end members and flange 2s overlaps and engages the flange 20 on the adjacent corner post I! and the flanges on the upper edges of the adjacent side and end members.

it is to beunderstood that the distance be tween the inner surface of flange 25 and the un-' der surface of flange 25 is such that, when the casket is assembled, the corner members clamp the corner posts, side members and end members firmly in position.

Each corner member is retained in position by two bolts 27 which extend therethrough and are threaded into sockets 28 which extend through the adjacent corner post l!- and have enlarged heads arranged upon the inside thereof as shown in Fig. 3.

If it is desired to make the casket waterproof, a thick cement or suitable gaskets may be placed within flanges l0, H, l2, l3 and 25 before assembly. Gaskets may be placed also beneath flanges 2| and the heads of sockets 2B. The space between each corner member 2d and the adjacent corner post I I may be filled with a suitable cement. an aperture 29 being formed in each flange 26 for this purpose. derstood that, if the casket is to be made waterprooicertain dimensions may have to be altered to accommodate the gaskets.

The top of the casket is closed by a lid 3! having the edge portion thereof turned inward and downward to form a depending flange 32 which extends into the casket when the lid is in position as shown in Fig. 1.

The central part of lid 3| may be pressed upward and provided with an opening 33 to permit a view of the interior of the casket, and opening 33 may be closed by a sheet of glass 34 sealed in a frame 35 which is welded or otherwise suitably secured to lid 3 I.

Water may be prevented from entering the,

top of the casket by gaskets or cement placed between the edge portions of lid 3! and the upper flanges on the side, end and corner members.

In order to protect glass 34 during and after interment, the casket may be provided with a cover tit which is pressed from a single piece of sheet metal and, as shown in Fig. 1, shaped to It is to be unprovide a horizontal edge portion ll to rest upon the edge portion of lid 3|, a peripheral flange 42 which extends downward around the sides and ends of the casket, and a dome 43 which extends over and above glass to protect the same.

The casket, which may be made of ordinary sheet steel and sprayed with a more precious metal in the well known manner, may be assembued without the aid of tools except a screw driver to tighten bolts 2?; Also, no handles are required as the casket may be handled by grasping the curved lower flanges H and l3.

The invention herein set forth is susceptible of various modifications without departing from the scope thereof as hereafter claimed.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows: .l. In a casket or the like, the combination of two opposed side members and two opposed end members each having a flange extending inward and upward from the lower edge thereof, a bottom' member arranged between said side and end members and having marginal flanges extending downward into the flanges on said side and end members, a corner post supported by said bottom member at each corner thereof and restrained from outward movement by the adjacent side and end members, a flange extending outward from the upper end of said corner post, a corner member arranged at each corner of said bottom member, a flange extending inward and upward from the lower edge of each corner member to overlap and engage the flanges on the adjacent side and end members, a flange extending inward from the upper edge of each corner member to overlap and engage the flange on the upper end of the adjacent corner post and thereby enable said corner members to fasten all of the other members together, and means for fastening each corner member to the adja cent corner post.

2. In a casket or the like, the combination of two opposed side members and two opposed end members each having a flange extending inward and upward from the lower edge thereof, a bottom member arranged between said side and end members and having a continuous marginal flange extending downward into the flanges on said side and end members, a corner post supported by said bottom member at each corner thereof and restrained from outward movement by the adjacent side and end members, a flange extending outward from the upper end of said corner post, a corner member arranged at each corner of said bottom member, a flange extending inward and upward from the lower edge of each'cor'ner member to overlap and engage the flanges on the adjacent side and end members,

a flange extending inward from the upper edge of each corner member to overlap and engage the flange on the upper end of the adjacent corner post and thereby enable said corner members to fasten all of the other members together, means for fastening each corner member to the adjacent corner post, sealing means arranged in the joints between' said bottom member, side members, end members and corner posts, and means for introducing sealing matter between eachcorner member and the adjacent corner post.

3. In a casket or the like, the combination of two opposed side members and two opposed end members, a bottom member of greater length than said side members and of greater width than said end members arranged between said side and end members and having each of its corners beveled from the end of the adjacent side member to the end of the adjacent end member, a flange depending from each edge of said bottom member, a flange extending inward and upward from the lower edge of each of said side and end members to receive the depending flange on the adjacent edge of said bottom member, a corner post sup-ported by said bottom member at each corner thereof and restrained from outward movement by the adjacent side and end members, a flange extending outward from the upper end of said corner post, a corner member arranged at each corner of said bottom member, a flange extending inward and upward from the lower edge of each corner member to overlap and engage the flanges on the lower edges of the adjacent side and end members, a flange extending inward from the upper edge of each corner member to overlap and engage the flange on the upper end of the adjacent corner post and thereby enable said corner members to fasten all of the other members together, and means for fastening each corner member to the adjacent corner post.

4. In a casket or the like, the combination of two opposed side members and two opposed end members, a bottom member of greater length than said side members and of greater width than said end members arranged between said side and end members and having each of its corners beveled from the end of the adjacent side member to the end of the adjacent end member, a flange depending from each edge of said bottom member and joined to the adjacent flanges to form a continuous flange around the periphery of said bottom member, a flange extending inward and upward from the lower edge of each of said side and end members to receive the depending flange on the adjacent edge of said bottom member, a corner post supported by said bottom member at each corner thereof and restrained from outward movement by the adjacent side and end members, a flange extending outward from the upper end of said corner post, a corner member arranged at each corner of said bottom member, a flange extending inward and upward from the lower edge of each corner member to overlap and engage the flanges on the lower edges of the adjacent side and end members, a flange extending inward from the upper edge of each corner member to overlap and engage the flange on the upper end of the adjacent corner post and thereby enable said corner members to fasten all of the other members together, means for fastening each corner member to the adjacent corner post, sealing means arranged in the joints between said bottom member, side members, end members and corner post, and means for introducing sealing matter between each corner member and the adjacent corner post.

5. In a casket or the like, the combination of two opposed side members and two opposed end members, each having a horizontal flange extending inward from the upper edge thereof, a bottom member of greater length than said side members and of greater width than said end members arranged between said side and end members and having each of its corners beveled from the end of the adjacent side member to the end of the adjacent end member, a flange depending from each edge of said bottom member and joined to the adjacent flanges to form a continuous flange around the periphery of said bottom member, a flange extending inward and upward from the lower edge of each of said side and end members to receive the depending flange on said bottom member, an open flange formed upon each end of each side and end member upon the inside thereof, a corner post supported by said bottom member at each corner thereof and having its side edge portions bent outward and inserted in the open flanges on the adjacent ends of the adjacent side and end members, a flange extendingoutward from the upper end of said corner post, a corner member arranged at each corner of said bottom member, a flange extending inward and upward from the lower edge of each corner member to overlap and engage the flanges on the lower edges of the adjacent side and end members, a flange extending inward from the upper edge of each corner member to overlap and engage the upper flanges on the adjacent corner post and adjacent side and end members and thereby enable said corner members to fasten all of the other members together, and means for fastening each corner member to the adjacent corner post.

6. In a casket or the like, the combination of two opposed side members and two opposed end members, each having a horizontal flange extending inward from the upper edge thereof, a bottom member of greater length than said side members and of greater width than said end members arranged between said side and end members and having each of its corners beveled from the end of the adjacent side member to the end of the adjacent end member, a flange depending from each edge of said bottom member and joined to the adjacent flanges to form a continuous flange around the periphery of said bottom member, a flange extending inward and upward from the lower edge of each of said side and end members to receive the depending flange on said bottom member, an open flange formed upon each end of each side and end member upon the inside thereof, a corner post supported by said bottom member at each corner thereof and having its side edge portions bent outward and inserted in the open flanges on the adjacent ends of the adjacent side and end members, a flange extending outward from the upper end of said corner post, a corner member arranged at each corner of said bottom member, a flange extending inward and upward from the lower edge of each corner member to overlap and engage the flanges on the loweredges of the adjacent side and end members, a flange extending inward from the upper edge of each corner member to overlap and engage the upper flanges on the adjacent corner post and adjacent side and end members and thereby enable said corner members to fasten all of the other members together, means for fastening each corner member to the adjacent corner post, sealing means arranged in the joints between said bottom member, side members, end members and corner post, and means for introducing sealing matter between each corner member and the adjacent corner post.

JOHN OSCAR BESCH. 

